


Gilded Cage

by Lizzie_Tempest



Series: Was Supposed To Be A Oneshot But Then I Got More Ideas [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphys - Freeform, Angst, Dark fic, Fairy Reader, Fairy Tale Elements, Frisk - Freeform, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kidnapping, Original Character(s), Poor Reader, Possessive Sans (Undertale), Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader Needs a Hug, Reader has a bad time, Reader-Insert, Sans (Undertale) Has Issues, Sans' friends are concerned, So many OCs, Suicide Attempt, Toriel - Freeform, Undyne - Freeform, Yandere Sans (Undertale), he's not full yandere i think?, i guess, just a lil teensy bit, pierced wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25151857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzie_Tempest/pseuds/Lizzie_Tempest
Summary: Sans has been feeling lonely since Papyrus moved out.  And then he finds YOU.And he decides that you'll be the perfect companion to keep the loneliness at bay.
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Series: Was Supposed To Be A Oneshot But Then I Got More Ideas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828597
Comments: 164
Kudos: 213





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AKA_Indulgence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKA_Indulgence/gifts).



> First of all, I want to thank aka-indulgence for creating the post on Tumblr that inspired this (and for letting me write this uwu)  
> Next I want to thank my wonderful beta Ariinya. She is fantastic and my writing would be terrible without her ^_^

You struggled with everything you had against the phalanges that had closed around you, keeping a tight grip on your tiny body. It was no use. At eight inches tall, you were just too small to put up a fight against the skeleton monster.

The monster, Sans, grinned sadistically. His white eyelights were tiny with concentration and grin wide with barely restrained glee as he chuckled.

"gotcha. had a feeling there was something stealing my snacks. had no idea that it would actually be a cute little fairy. heh, _sweet_ lil thing, aren't you _sugar plum_?"

You cursed your sweet tooth. Of course, the bag of cotton candy had been a trap. You should've known better. Your mother had always told you that you were far too reckless for your own good. She had scolded you time and again when she had caught you getting too close to human houses.

"It's not safe!" she had said.

"You'll be seen!"

"You could be killed!"

"They'll take you from me, just like they did with your father!"

You had always felt guilty at the mention of your father. Your mother had been devastated when he had been killed accidentally by some cruel humans who captured him and thought they could sell him to a "circus.” Whatever that was. Your uncle had been the one to find his mangled body, thrown into one of the trashcans, and brought him home. You didn't want your mother to suffer again if the same thing happened to you, so you stayed away.

But then, monsters had resurfaced. They had been stuck underground for centuries and were made up of hope, love, and compassion. They had magic, just like you, and with how kind they seemed to be from afar, you couldn't help but be excited. They were different from humans. You knew they could be!

You were wrong.

This monster was horrible; you hated him. He was squeezing too tightly, and you couldn't breathe. He was going to crush your wings if he wasn't careful, but something told you that he knew just how securely to hold you to keep you restrained. You hated that he had tricked you and you hated that, you had fallen for it.

The skeleton hummed quietly, sockets lidding as he relaxed and walked upstairs, opening a door at the end of the hallway. You looked around, anxiety climbing, and your struggles increased when you saw that he had brought you to his room.

The whole place was a mess. Dirty clothes littered the floor and were draped across a treadmill that had been placed in the middle of the room. The bed was just a single mattress on the floor, the sheets bunched up into a ball in the middle. Garbage and the odd sock swirled together in one of the corners, creating a miniature tornado of sorts. And the smell! You gagged, taking note of how dusty the window was. It obviously hadn't been opened in a while. Possibly ever.

"don't worry. you'll get used to the smell." Sans chuckled.

You snarled and increased your efforts to wriggle free of his phalanges, even going as far as biting at him. You squeaked when he tightened his grip, nearly crushing you, and you gasped in pain. You couldn't help the frightened whimper that just had Sans' grin widening even more. He walked over to the desk that was pushed up against the far wall.

He placed the hand that gripped you down on the top of the desk and loosened his phalanges. You didn't even get the chance to stand before you felt your very weight pull you down. You gasped. It felt like you were getting crushed! You could see a blue glow surrounding your hand. Magic? Was he using magic on you?

"best if you don't struggle, tinkerbell. it'll just make it worse for you," he cooed.

You whined and chose to ignore him, wriggling with everything you had. You had magic too! Surely, if you fought hard enough, you could break free! Just a moment would be enough, and you could be gone! You just needed a moment of freedom! The feeling of being crushed increased, and you sobbed. You couldn't move. His magic was too strong.

You heard a drawer opening. Things being moved around as the skeleton rummaged around inside. You could only imagine what he was looking for. You began to hyperventilate, eyes wide and breaths coming in deep, choking gasps as you desperately tried to keep calm and continue to breathe. If you passed out now then you would be done for. You were so focused on trying to breathe and remain still that you completely missed the sound of the drawer closing.

You yelped at the gentle touch on your back, on your wings. You hadn't been expecting it and tears filled your eyes, stomach churning as the bony fingers held up your wings, inspecting and stroking them in a gentle caress. They were thin and fragile. One wrong move and he would break them. Your wings fluttered softly at the continued touch, and the deranged skeleton monster cooed, observing how they glittered in the light of the sun shining in from the window.

"so pretty... so small. fascinating," he murmured to himself.

You began to weep openly, tears falling down your cheeks. You didn't care anymore about trying to be brave. You were scared, and you couldn't stop the broken pleas that escaped any longer.

"Please! Let me go! I won't come here again! I promise! Just, please! Please, let me go!" you babbled.

"no can do, tinkerbell. you're much too cute. rare too, i bet. you'd make a cute lil pet."

You shook your head in denial. He couldn't imprison you here. Could he?

"You can't! Please! Just let me go!" you wailed.

Sans sighed. His breath tickled your wings, and they fluttered once more in response.

"don't worry. you'll learn to like it here. i've been planning this since i found your lil footprints in the flour, back in the kitchen a week ago. so i've got a place all ready for you. but first, i need to do something about these wings of yours."

You began to panic once more. Oh, stars! Sans was really going to tear your wings off your very back, wasn't he? He was seriously that insane! He was going to do everything to keep you here! The skeleton laughed. He actually started laughing at your panicked state.

"hey, don't worry! i'm not gonna tear them off your back! i'm not heartless. no, your wings are far too beautiful to just be torn into shreds, so you'll be keeping them."

You sighed in relief.

"however, i _do_ need to make sure that you won't escape. ever. and to do that, you can't be allowed to fly."

You didn't have the chance to ask him what he'd meant before a searing pain in your top left wing had you screaming, writhing as you begged him to stop. The pain came again further down. Something terribly sharp was being stabbed through your wing! You were stabbed once more. Whatever was doing the deed traced down to your lower left wing. You vaguely registered Sans' bony fingers, gently holding the edge and ensuring it wouldn't move involuntarily. His deep voice whispered reassurances, praising you for being so strong, telling you to just bear with it a little longer. It would be over soon.

Your left wings fell limp as he let go before moving onto the right. Your screaming started once more as Sans started to pierce the wings. One phalange rubbed soothing circles into the small of your back while he hushed your cries. Even with his magic holding you still, you found yourself convulsing. Your back arched with the pain, causing him to tug slightly on the lower right wing. You cried out at the burning sensation that started shooting through your spine, and he mumbled apologies, told you to be still. Be good. It wouldn’t hurt for much longer so long as you were good.

You couldn't tell when Sans stopped. You were still trembling violently in agony, whimpering. Something was placed on the desk in front of you, and you couldn't stop your eyes from wandering. Your mind blanched at the sight of the sewing needle. Your wings...you could feel them trembling from the torture they had endured. Feel the small holes that had punctured each one.

This was crueler than anything any humans had done. It would've been kinder to have torn your wings from your back! Sans had destroyed any chance of you ever flying again. You were as helpless as a bird with clipped wings. You could hardly even move them now, the nerves damaged from the holes that had been pierced into them.

You hadn't noticed that the magic surrounding you had dissipated. You felt so heavy now without the magic in your wings there to help you fly. It was gone forever now...

"there, now. that's better. i know it hurts now, but it'll get better. i promise."

Bony hands cupped your form tenderly, taking care to be gentle as they held your body. Dizziness washed over you, and you moaned in pain when he began to move. You had to close your eyes. Everything hurt. There was a heavy clinking sound once he stopped, and it sounded like something opened.

The skeleton set you down on a plush surface. Something soft and silky was pulled over you as you continued to shake. You couldn't help but curl up, reveling in how cool it felt on the feverish skin of your back. The clinking sound was heard again, accompanied by something snapping shut. You recognized the click of a lock and forced your eyes to open. You froze.

You were in a cage. Sans had locked you inside a cage!

It was big enough for you to move around comfortably. The bars were too close together, you wouldn't be able to squeeze through. Not that you would want to anyway. He had painted it silver, but by the smirk on his skull, he knew that you knew that it was anything but. It was iron. You couldn't touch iron. It would burn you! He'd certainly done his homework, and it certainly explained the white faux fur that lined the floor of the cage, acting as a carpet. He had placed you on a cushion, one tiny enough to act as a mattress. The silk blanket he'd placed over your form was none other than a fancy blue handkerchief.

Your body began to ache and grow fatigued. The iron surrounding you taking effect and forcing your eyes shut once more. You pulled the handkerchief over your head, curling up as small as you could as you wept.

Sans sighed, smirk softening to a gentle smile. His eyelights were fuzzy and filled with adoration as he gazed at his new little companion. He tucked the key to your cage into his pocket and checked the lock before deciding to leave you alone. It would probably be best to let you adapt to your new home.

He'd been so lonely since Papyrus moved out. Welp, not anymore. He didn't have to leave the house now that he had found a companion in you! It didn't matter that he had taken you against your will and taken away your only way of escaping! You would come to understand eventually! You wouldn't even miss flying! You still had your wings, he didn't see what the big deal was.

Besides, now you could stay here with him. **Forever.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans' friends pay him a visit :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Ariinya for being a wonderful beta *hugs*

As much as he hated to admit it, Sans was starting to get a little concerned over his new companion.

He'd tried countless times to coax you into eating. He'd leave numerous sugary treats on a plate in your cage. He'd managed to find a thimble from when he used to sew costumes for Papyrus and had filled it with sugary water. Sometimes he would try chocolate milk or even maple syrup.

But you still weren't eating.

Come to think of it, you hadn't moved an inch since he'd placed you in the cage a week ago. You hadn't moved from under the "safety" of the handkerchief. For the first two days, Sans presumed it was because you were still in pain. The fifth day had him opening the door to the cage and tentatively checking to make sure you were still alive. He would hate it if he accidentally killed you after all the trouble he went to so he could ensure your capture.

He made sure his touch was as light as a feather. He knew you were still in pain from when he pierced your wings, and he knew you were heartbroken from losing the magic connected to them that enabled you to fly. He didn't want to hurt you, but it had been necessary! He had to make sure you would stay with him! He couldn't have you leaving him.

~~**You were never going to leave him.** ~~

Sans frowned. You had twitched, so you were still alive. But for how long? He couldn't let you die. Your gaze was completely vacant as he handled you and carefully pulled you out of the cage to cradle your body in his bony hand. He wasn't worried about you escaping right now. You were still in pain, your body fatigued from being surrounded by iron continuously and from not eating. You didn't have the strength to even try.

He was slightly worried that you were losing the will to live. And he couldn't afford for that to happen.

He picked up the tiny feeding syringe he had placed to one side and filled it with sugared water before putting the end up to your lips to try and make you drink once more. You opened your eyes, eyelids feeling heavy, and vision slightly blurry. This stopped you from recognizing the skeleton right away but enabled him to coax some of the water down your throat.

You didn't drink much before it became clear that you wouldn't have more. Sans wasn't entirely happy about that, but he couldn't complain at this point. He'd been trying to get you to drink something for days now, so he would take that as a small victory.

He couldn't help but wonder how much longer you would be like this. He'd hoped that you would at least be walking around by now. He wanted to ask for your opinions on what kind of bed you would like, what kind of clothes and shoes, if you wanted any furniture or further decorations. Maybe you'd like some fairy lights around the outside of the cage? Heh. _Fairy_ lights.

Sans knew that he hadn't made the best first impression by kidnapping you and piercing your wings. So he had wanted to spoil you. He could give you anything you wanted! Within reason. Maybe you'd like a companion yourself? It would have to be small. A hamster, perhaps? You would look so cute riding around on it!

He sighed and placed you back on your pillow and pulled the handkerchief over your form before he closed the cage once more. Just what was he going to do to get you out of this?

His eyelights shrank to pinpricks at the knocking on the door. He felt his soul begin to thrum erratically as he glanced at you out of the corner of his sockets. You mumbled and whined and turned over before drifting back into unconsciousness, and he sighed in relief. He grabbed a small blanket and threw it over the cage to cover it. He couldn't help but growl lowly at the persistent knocking. Did they have to be so loud?! Couldn't they understand that they were going to wake you?!

He had just left his bedroom and locked the door when an almighty crash came from downstairs. His left socket flared blue, and he felt his grin widen in a snarl. Whoever was intruding was going to be sorry. He teleported downstairs to try and keep the element of surprise and scowled at what he found.

His door had been kicked open. By none other than Undyne. Again. She was grinning toothily as Alphys, Toriel, and Frisk stood behind her, looking a little sheepish. Alphys was wringing her claws together and appearing more nervous than usual. Toriel was holding a pie, and judging by the smell, it was her famous butterscotch and cinnamon pie. Frisk gave a small smile and a little wave. He found himself relaxing, but only a little.

"Hehe, sorry about the door Sans. I'll fix it for ya, don't worry." Undyne grinned as she pulled the door from the floor and moved it back into the frame.

Sans shrugged. It was annoying, but it wasn't the end of the world. Worse things had happened than a door being kicked in. Sans couldn't help but notice how the others all seemed to relax when he didn't seem to care. He'd never cared about that kind of thing before, so why would they think he did now? How...odd.

Toriel went into the kitchen and placed the pie on the counter. Judging by the steam still coming from the dessert, Sans could only guess that it was still piping hot. He should wait a while to let it cool down. Maybe he could give you a little piece. Toriel's cooking was incredible; surely the sweet smell of her signature pie would be enough to persuade you into eating. As she came back into the living room, the goat monster smiled at him gently, her eyes radiating motherly concern.

"How have you been, Sans?"

Maybe it was because they had talked to each other so much in the Underground, but Sans found that he couldn't lie to her. Especially when she was looking so worried.

"heh. 'm not gonna lie tori. it's...been hard. not having paps here is - it's just - i really miss him, you know?"

She smiled sadly and nodded in understanding. Frisk came over to give him a hug, squeezing him as tightly as they could. He chuckled softly and ruffled their hair. They let out a quiet noise of protest and scrunched up their face as they tried to straighten their hair once more.

He heard Undyne clear her throat and turned his skull towards her. She shuffled on her feet, looking a little awkward and refused to meet his gaze. Sans noticed how her hands twitched as they rested on the bag she carried and raised a brow bone. Eventually, she seemed to gather her nerve and held the bag out to him. He blinked, taking it hesitantly.

"It's from Papyrus. He wanted you to have this."

Sans felt Frisk's arms wrap around him once more. Undyne wouldn't meet his gaze, Alphys was biting at her claws, and Toriel began to fiddle with the Delta Rune that had been stitched onto her dress. He looked down at the bag. Papyrus wanted him to have this? Was it a present from the city? Maybe he had seen something he thought Sans would like and sent it. But why would he send it to Undyne and not to him directly? His eyelights shrank when he opened it and saw what was inside.

Papyrus' scarf.

"welp. he — he was gonna grow out of it eventually anyway, huh?"

Undyne opened her mouth to speak but seemed to think better of it. Toriel stepped forward and placed a paw on his shoulder.

"Sans, it's okay to be upset."

"no. no, i'm fine. i'm fine."

She didn't look convinced but said nothing more on the matter. Sans turned to place the scarf on the coffee table and straightened when he remembered something.

"oh, by the way, just out of curiosity, when did you last hear from papyrus? he said he would let me know when he settled in, but i haven't heard anything."

Alphys let out a strangled sound as she glanced at the others, Undyne had stepped back, her eye wide with shock. Frisk seemed to be equally shocked, their face pale as they glanced between their friends nervously. Toriel had covered her mouth with a paw.

"Oh. Oh, dear."

Sans sighed.

"can you just tell him to give me a call sometime?" he asked.

Undyne seemed about to say something, but she was pulled back by Toriel, who shook her head at the fish monster's questioning gaze. Her fins drooped, and she clenched her fists, turning her back on Sans so he wouldn't see the tears filling her eye. Toriel turned back to the skeleton and smiled.

"Of course we will, Sans."

He nodded, satisfied that the message would be passed on.

"er...don't mean to be rude or anything, but i kinda have some stuff to do."

The only "stuff" he had to do would be trying to get you to eat. But his friends didn't need to know that. Either way, he needed them gone so that he could focus more, and he was glad that they seemed to get the hint. It wasn't long before they said their goodbyes. Frisk cast a wary final glance back at him, but he just grinned lazily.

He reinforced the door with magic once they had left. It wasn't the best, but it would do for a temporary fix until he was able to fix it properly. More importantly, though, was that no one would be able to just break the door down with his magic reinforcing it like that. Huh. Maybe he should do that with his door when he fixed it. It might stop Undyne and any other unwanted visitors. The last thing he needed was someone breaking in and snooping around. If they found you, then they would take you away for sure. He couldn't protect you if that happened. No, you were much safer in your current situation with him. Now, if only he could get you to realize that.

With that final thought, Sans headed back up to his room, allowing a soft smile to cross his skull as he watched you slumber.

* * *

"What are we gonna do?"

"Now, let's not be so hard on him. We all know how much Sans loved Papyrus. We all knew when we got the news that it would be harder on Sans than any of us."

Undyne huffed.

"Yeah, but — this isn't normal!"

"Actually, it is. Humans have something called “The Five Stages of Grief”? I think that's what it's called...anyway, I believe Sans is in the first stage; denial," Toriel continued.

Frisk sniffled, their tiny hand curling into Toriel's.

"Mom? Is Sans going to be okay?" they asked tentatively.

The others also looked towards the goat monster expectantly, as if she held the answer to the problem presented to them. Toriel sighed, looking tired and much older than she usually did, the bags under her eyes more noticeable now that the sun shone down on them. The nights of staying up comforting Frisk had started taking its toll on her.

"I...I'm afraid I do not know, my child. But we have to be patient with him and strong for him. I realize we all feel the loss, and that is why we need to come together for our friend in his time of need. Sans was very close with Papyrus, so it may take him a very long time to recover."

"I get what you're saying, Toriel. But we have to tell him! He can't keep going around believing that Papyrus is still alive! It's not fair! Not only to him but to us as well!"

"I understand what you're saying, Undyne. And you are right. We WILL tell Sans the truth. Eventually. But not now. No, if we were to tell him now... I'm afraid I do not know how he will react. He may dust himself! You saw how he was at the funeral."

The others nodded. Sans had been completely silent, grin strained, and his eyelights extinguished as he had been gently led around by his friends. It was like he had been a zombie, as if he wasn't there.

"We will tell him eventually. We'll all gather together and tell him gently."

With that, the group went on their way, trying to stay alert. The last thing they wanted was to fall victim to the same group that took Papyrus from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hurts me more than it hurts you ;_;
> 
> Bother me on Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Ariinya for being a fantastic beta-reader as always.  
> And thank you to all of my readers who are enjoying this so far! I love you all, you're amazing :)

Sans sat at his desk, humming quietly as he worked. Frequently he would glance over at the cage that still held you. He huffed a quiet laugh at how you continued to hide under your little blanket. As if that could protect you from him. He wouldn't need to hurt you anyway. You were too vulnerable without your wings and had been surrounded by iron for just over a week now. You knew when to pick your fights, and for now, you were quiet. Which was good. He'd hate it if he had to hurt you even more than he already had.

Sans knew that you still despised him for that, and he truly did feel bad. Which was why he was working so hard now to make it up to you. He had ordered lots of different colored flowers from a botany shop in town. He made the excuse that he wanted to brighten up the place, which wasn't exactly a lie. What he had in mind WAS going to brighten things up a bit. He just hoped you liked what he had been working on.

The flowers he was working with at the moment a white tulip and a navy blue agapanthus, had been imbued with magic. This way, they wouldn't die and would be more robust than usual. Exactly the conditions he needed them to be in. Using the same needle that he'd used to pierce your wings, he'd stripped the tulip of its petals and cut them in the shapes he needed before sewing them together to create a cute top. He did the same with the other flower, but made it into a skirt instead.

He hoped he had guessed your size right. He couldn't wait to see you try the little outfit on, especially with the final touch that he had managed to finish the night before.

He looked over at the bright red accessory. Papyrus had given the scarf back, which meant that he didn't want it anymore. Sans knew that he wasn't going to wear it himself, but that didn't mean he couldn't put it to some good use. It hadn't taken long for him to make your own little scarf out of the fabric. He even had plenty left over, so he would be able to make some other outfits for you! Maybe a dress? Yeah, you'd probably like that.

Either way, he knew you would appreciate the new clothes. The ones you were still wearing were torn and dirty. Surely you would want to get out of them and into something clean. You'd hate that it had come from him, but you would take them anyway. Either that or you would have to go naked, and he was pretty sure that would just make you more upset and pissed off with him.

It struck him then that it would look like you were wearing a tiny version of Papyrus' battle body. He couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his skull. Old habits died hard.

* * *

As much as you hated it, you couldn't deny yourself food and water forever. You'd eventually crawled out of your makeshift bed after checking that the skeleton wasn't around and made your way to the little dishes. You sat down, tucking your legs under you as you carefully pulled the thimble to you.

You couldn't stand how relieved you were to finally drink something. You could feel a little of your energy returning already. Eventually, you had to place the thimble back down. You kept feeling little twinges in your back. It didn't hurt as much as it had. Now it was more like an itch that you couldn't scratch. You didn't know what was worse.

You had just started nibbling on one of the sugar cubes that had been left for you when you heard footsteps on the stairs. It could only be one person. Your eyes narrowed. Quickly dusting off the remains of the sugar on your palms, you hurried to the little cushion. It didn't offer much defense, but you would rather be there than out in the open. Besides, you didn't want to see the look of glee that would cross his face once he saw that you'd eaten and drank something.

You hid under the handkerchief, peeking out slightly so that you could watch the door. You could hear your heart pounding with the mounting fear that you couldn't push down as the footsteps drew closer. There was a slight pause. Was the skeleton listening for you? Could he hear you? At that point you wouldn't be surprised.

The door opened.

You could see as his eyelights immediately honed in on your cage. They flickered to the dish, taking in the sight of the sugar cube that had been clearly nibbled at. The tiny white orbs brightened, growing slightly bigger and fuzzy around the edges. A soft smile graced Sans' skull as he chuckled. It was easy to hear the relief as he approached, kneeling down to peer into your prison and grinning down at you as you hid beneath your makeshift blanket.

"good to see you're eating something, tinkerbell. guess you must be feeling better."

You scowled and poked your head out, glaring at him hatefully.

"My name is not Tinkerbell! Stop calling me that!"

He tilted his skull slightly, eye sockets lidding as his grin widened.

"oh? so what's your real name then?"

You growled and bared your teeth, finally gathering the courage to leave the cover of the blanket to stand and stare up at him defiantly.

"I would never tell you my name. To offer up your real name is to offer up complete control. And I will NEVER let you control me!"

Sans laughed, tears forming in his eyes.

"oh, please. don't make me laugh anymore, i can't take it! haha, this is too cute. you seriously think that you could defy me?"

He leaned even closer to the cage, and you folded your arms, determined to make sure he didn't see the slight tremor that swept through you at the idea of him being even closer. It took all the strength you currently possessed to ensure you didn't take a step back.

"let me clear a few things up for you, sugarplum. you won't be leaving this cage," he tapped on the bars, "unless i say so. you can't touch iron, so there'll be no using the door and, well, you're not gonna be flying anytime soon," he chuckled.

You felt your cheeks turn red from the rage that was building up inside you.

"your magic is nothing compared to mine, and let's not forget that i'm bigger than you. knowing your real name has nothing to do with it. you're already under my control, whether you like it or not. you're _**mine**_ now. don't worry, though. the more you play along, the better things will be. you'll learn to like it here."

You couldn't control the snarl that traveled up your throat. Sans laughed, shaking his skull and muttering "cute" under his breath. He opened up the door to the cage, and you squeaked, running back to the cushion. He grinned.

"don't be so scared. i'm not gonna hurt you. in fact, i've got a little surprise for you."

* * *

You looked at yourself in the piece of broken glass that was being used as a mirror in your cage. You felt so ashamed that you had given in to this so readily. But Sans had been right. Your clothes were filthy. At least he had turned around to give you some semblance of privacy. That was nice of him.

You shook your head of the thought and slapped your cheeks. No, it wasn't nice. You shouldn't have to put up with this. You shouldn't be held against your will. You shouldn't think your kidnapper was kind for giving you a little bit of privacy as you changed into clothes that he claimed he "lovingly made himself.” Pfft. Yeah. As if this skeleton was ever capable of love.

You didn't know what to think. You hated that you had to wear this. But at the same time, you kinda liked it? The petals glowed slightly with magic and seemed so much softer than the flowers you would usually find. The white top had short sleeves and was cropped a bit, showing your belly button. The navy colored petals in the skirt flared out a little, giving you a slight whimsical look. Not your everyday style. But your favorite part of the outfit was probably the bright red scarf that hung around your neck.

The scarf just seemed to fill you with warmth and comfort. It was like someone brave and kind was giving you a hug and reassuring you that things were going to be okay. That someone was going to help. You just had to be patient and bide your time, help was on its way. You didn't know if there was any truth to what the scarf made you feel, but it comforted you all the same.

Still, you couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy at how it seemed to glitter in the sunlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans: i'm fine! i'm not upset at all. papyrus will call when he's settled in :D  
> Also Sans: *makes a little outfit like Papyrus' for his captured fairy out of his dead brother's scarf*
> 
> come bother me at tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans realizes that he made a mistake...
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains attempted suicide. There may be references to this chapter in the future (that won't go into detail) so if this will trigger you, once further chapters are up, you can just skip over it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank my beta reader Ariinya. Always such a big help <3
> 
> Second of all, a big thank you to Zero, isn't-that-something, heart8beatx, ladyarkytiorofdunans and anyone else who sent me little facts about fairies. If anyone else has any little facts, don't be afraid to let me know in the comments!

Sans couldn't help but scream as he looked down on your body.

He had left you alone to get used to your new outfit. You had seemed to like it as you looked in the little shard of broken glass that you used as a mirror. He hadn't been gone long. Only long enough to fix the front door properly and use his magic on the back door. He didn't want anyone just barging in, and he especially didn't want Undyne crashing through his door or knocking it down again. Just breaking it in general. He didn't want to have to keep spending money on getting the stupid door fixed when he could be spending it on spoiling you.

He couldn't have been more than an hour...

And when he returned...

Your tiny body had crumpled in front of the mirror shard. You whimpered as your breaths grew shallow, and Sans watched in increasing horror as your wings, the very part of you that he had been so enamored with, began to wither and turn grey.

He took hold of the key that he'd been keeping on a chain around his neck, fumbling a second as he desperately tried to unlock the cage to get to you. He kept his panicked gaze on your form, almost convinced that you would disappear if his eyelights wandered for even a moment.

"no. no. no. no. no. no," he muttered under his breath.

He scooped your body up as gently as he could, cursing when you whined in pain. Damnit! He didn't want this! He hadn't wanted you to be in any more pain than necessary! After what he did to your wings, you were supposed to be okay! Had he damaged them too much? Had you finally succumbed to your hopelessness?! Stars, he hoped not.

Sans placed you down on his pillow, his hands hovering over you as he wondered what to do. His eyelights took in the state of your wings. They didn't shine anymore and were crumpled. Fuck.

What had he done?

You weren't moving, and Sans' panic was only growing. He didn't know what to do. The realization hit him like a bucket of icy water being poured over his soul. He researched fairies a little bit, but he only looked for what he could use to capture you in the first place. He didn't bother looking at anything else. He didn't think he'd need to. Because of his stupidity, you were now paying the price. Something was causing you pain, and he didn't know what or how to stop it.

Sans grabbed his phone and opened up the search engine. "Fairy sickness" and "fairies with broken wings" both turned up pretty useless. Most of the results he clicked on, thinking he could find something, mostly talked about how iron could be used against them. He already knew that! His scowl deepened, and he would've growled in frustration if it wasn't for the quiet noise of pain he heard come from the pillow where you lay.

His gaze softened, and he used a phalange to gently stroke the top of your head. His eyelights turned to little hearts when you mumbled softly and nuzzled into his fingertip.

Sans immediately turned his attention back to his phone and increased his efforts. He couldn't lose you. Not now. Not like ~~Papyrus.~~

Sans shook his skull. It's a shame that Papyrus lived all the way in the city. He would know what to do in a soulbeat. Papyrus would be able to heal you, but he couldn't go to his brother. He was too far away, and Sans knew that if he ever found out about how he'd captured you, then Papyrus wouldn't hesitate to take you away. Papyrus was always so caring towards others. He was so cool.

As a last resort, he typed in "fairy weakness.” He expected to find more articles on how iron and even silver could be used to ward them off. And the first few pages consisted of just that. It was only as he started scrolling through the fourth page (and starting to contemplate finding Toriel and asking for help. She was on the surface before the war, she would know about fairies) that something jumped out at him.

A few words like "fairy" and "weakness" had been highlighted in the summary. What he didn't expect was the mention of a broken mirror. Sans' eyelights slowly shifted to look back at the cage and zeroed in on the shard of glass that he had placed in there for you to use as a mirror. He'd broken the mirror in order to get the fragment small enough. Could it be...?

With a growing feeling of dread, Sans clicked on the article. His eyelights extinguished altogether as he began to read. The article was more of a story. A story of a traveler who found a fairy by a broken mirror. The fairy was weak, and her wings had turned grey and withered away. The fable was describing just what seemed to be happening to you! This was all his fault! Oh, what had he done? He continued to read. Surely there would be a way to fix this.

He scanned the rest of the story quickly, already feeling impatient, and he didn't want to waste any time if there were a chance that he could fix this himself. Okay. So all he needed was a mirror that hadn't been broken? He could do that. Sparing you one last glance to ensure you were still breathing, Sans left his room and walked into the bathroom. He didn't need it himself, but Frisk did for when they had stayed over in the past.

He took the small mirror that hung on the wall and carefully brought it back to his room. He knelt back down beside his bed and held the mirror up, taking care to ensure that your reflection showed. He hoped and prayed with everything he had that this would work. He hoped that this story he had found had some truth to it. For a few moments, nothing happened.

"come on, sugar plum. don't give up on me. please! you gotta keep fighting. i'm sorry. i'm so sorry! just...please. please, come back to me," he whispered.

The mirror began to shine brightly. Sans spotted another bright light out of the corner of his socket. A quick glance in the direction showed him that the broken piece of mirror in your cage had also started glowing. His sockets widened. It was working! The story was true! He really could fix this!

There was a sharp flash as the light grew more intense. The glow from the broken mirror faded out, and there was one more flash from the unbroken one. Then the light vanished. Sans blinked as he tried to make the spots that appeared in his vision disappear. He looked down at you.

He couldn't stop the sigh of relief when he saw that your breathing had evened out. And your wings! They were shining! They were fluttering as you dreamed!

...

They...were whole.

It was like he had never damaged them in the first place. The tiny holes that he had pierced into them had completely disappeared! It was like they were brand new!

Despite being relieved that you would be okay, Sans found himself scowling. You would be able to fly again. He couldn't afford for that to happen. He had to do something. He had to ensure that you would stay. And if that meant he had to put you through that trauma again, then so be it.

Sans walked over to the desk and located the needle he used the first time. He'd kept it out so he could make more little outfits for you. He didn't think he would need to use it in this way again. Before going back to the bed, he stopped at the cage. He knew that you had come close to dying, and if he was going to keep you as a companion, he couldn't allow for that to happen again. He took the broken mirror out of your cage and opened the window so he could throw it out. He didn't waste any time shutting it again.

It was a good thing you were still unconscious. It would make things much easier now. He wouldn't have to hold you down with magic. With you completely "away with the fairies" (heh), he would have no trouble. And with any luck, you wouldn't feel anything either.

With this thought in mind, Sans carefully rolled you onto your front so that he could start. He only had to stop a few times as he worked, mostly just to whisper reassurances when you whined in pain and shifted slightly. Besides those few moments, piercing your wings this time took a lot less time. Possibly because you weren't struggling so much. Just one more wing to do and...

There! All finished. It was like this whole incident with the mirror had never happened.

Sans cupped your body in his hands, expression soft and filled with adoration for his little fairy friend. He brought you close to his skull, carefully pressing a gentle kiss to the top of your head as he brought you back to your cage.

He placed you in your bed and pulled the handkerchief around you, snickering quietly as you grumbled and pulled it closer, wrapping it around yourself like a little cocoon.

As Sans locked the cage up tight and placed the key back around his neck, he found himself becoming thoughtful. He could've lost you today. It was only because he acted quickly and found something on the internet that he was able to save you. This had been his fault in the first place. He didn't know that a broken mirror would cause you harm. If his instinct was right, then there was a lot more that he didn't know about fairies.

Sans needed to know as much as he could. More specifically, he needed to know what would harm you so that he could take extra care to ensure that he could protect you. He needed to prove that he could keep you safe.

The internet had only provided so much information. He needed something more. Perhaps the library would have something? Yes. The library was sure to have something. And while he was out, maybe he could pick something up for you? A little treat would be nice after such a frightening experience.

Sans closed his bedroom door and reinforced it with magic once more. No one would be getting in unless he allowed it. And no one would leave either. He grinned at the thought of you in there, waiting for him to come back to you. He let out a sigh of content before teleporting straight to the library.

* * *

Your plan had failed.

The second that you realized that the skeleton had given you a broken mirror, you knew that this was your chance to be free. You didn't want to die. But you knew there was no chance of escaping. Not with the way you were right now. Death was your only option if you wanted to be free of this deranged monster.

You could already feel the mirror sapping your strength from the moment you looked at your reflection. You fought to stay standing with everything you had until Sans left the room, and you allowed yourself to collapse.

You muttered apologies to your mother and your uncle. You prayed for your death to be swift so that you may be free. You felt the warmth from the scarf envelop you, the presence that you now associated with it holding you in a final, comforting embrace.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you grew weaker, your wings began to shrivel. You smiled slightly as you lost all sense of yourself and welcomed your death like an old friend.

In the darkness, you heard someone scream, but the sound was too far away to make out who it was.

A significant amount of time passed as you floated in the darkness. Was this what happened to fairies when they died? Was this what your father experienced when he was killed? You hoped so. The darkness was rather comforting and surprisingly warm and cozy. If this was death, then you could certainly get used to this.

A bright light ripped you from your quiet slumber, and when you awoke, you were back in that cursed cage. You were back in the bed, still wearing the outfit that Sans made for you. You were still alive. Your wings were still pierced. You were still trapped.

The only real difference was that the broken mirror was no longer there. There was no chance of trying again. That skeleton must've figured out what happened. He must've figured out that the mirror was what caused you harm. He would've taken it, and he brought you back to this world.

That horrible monster. He couldn't even let you die in peace.

The hopelessness set in once more, and you wept into your hands, your whole body shaking with the force of your sobs. You didn't have any other plan. The only thing you could think of was touching the iron that made up your cage. You didn't quite feel like being burned to death just yet.

There really was no hope. There was nothing more you could do except hope and pray that someone kind would find you and set you free.

You didn't think your wishes would come true, though. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come bother me on Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans takes a trip to the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a filler chapter.
> 
> First of all, I want to thank Zero and isnt-that-something for the links to different sites so I could get help with this story. 
> 
> Next, I want to thank ask-basurtoj15 for the cute little picture of the fairy she made which is here: https://ask-basurtoj15.tumblr.com/post/630738048986021888/ive-been-planning-this-for-awhile-and-its
> 
> And speaking of art, go and check out this amazing picture by DarkBlueSoul012: https://twitter.com/DBS_012/status/1316405387856236544
> 
> (Still can't figure out how to make links on here) >_<'

Sans couldn't remember the last time he had been inside of the library. Even when still trapped in the Underground, he couldn't remember a time when he'd been there. At least, not for himself. Any time he had visited before had been on Papyrus' behalf, when his brother would have to borrow books for school projects and the like.

Despite not having many memories of being inside a library, the skeleton had a very vivid image of how one should be. Granted the idea he had were all based on hazy memories and the way that libraries had been portrayed in human culture. All of the books and movies would paint the same picture.

A quiet place. A stern elderly librarian who would shush anyone speaking above a whisper. The perfect place to study and find answers. A drab place, full of muted colours.

However, as Sans stepped through the doors to the library that was only a few blocks from his house, he found himself freezing. His breath left him as he was presented with a very different sight from what he expected.

There was colour everywhere. Children's drawings pinned to the walls of their favourite characters from stories. There were numerous kids around, sitting at tables and chatting as they worked on projects with parents or tutors supervising and giving them advice. Some kids were colouring. The last thing Sans expected to see was one of the librarians reading a story to a group of transfixed toddlers, becoming more animated as the story went on. Their parents and guardians sat in a circle around them, watching over the older ones sitting on the floor while holding onto the babies. And there wasn't just humans, there were monsters too! All were smiling. He couldn't help the small smile that crossed his skull as he took in the scene.

Sans had never expected such a large amount of noise in what he had presumed would be the quietest place on the planet.

He began to sweat nervously. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on his goal with all of this noise. He was going to need some help.

The skeleton tentatively inched around the large group and headed towards the main desk where another librarian, a kind elderly woman with shoulder length blonde hair and glasses was chatting amicably with a young woman and what appeared to be her young son. If Sans guessed right, then the kid was getting his first library card. He chuckled quietly when the librarian handed over a small library card with a picture of a train. The boy grinned in sheer delight as he took in the picture, turning the card over and over in his small hands as his mother thanked the woman.

As the two stood, the boy's mother gently took the card from him, telling him she would keep it safe for him and took hold of his hand to take him to where all of the children's books had been placed.

For a moment, Sans wrung his hands together. He shouldn't be this nervous! He could feel his palms getting even sweatier and his bones rattled slightly. What if they wouldn't let him take any books because he was a monster? No. Surely that wouldn't happen, right? There were other monsters here! It should be okay.

Then again, the monsters here were all bunny, cat and dog monsters. The ones that humans found really cute. HE was a skeleton. It was a wonder he hadn't frightened anyone just by walking into the building. If he couldn't get any books, then how was supposed to take care of you? Stars he didn't even have a library card! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"People will wonder what you're doing if you carry on standing there."

The voice ripped through his thoughts and he blinked back to reality. The elderly woman was watching him, smiling kindly at him as she beckoned him to approach. For a moment he just stared stupidly. He looked around him slightly, but everyone else around him was busy. He heard the soft laughter of the woman at the desk and he couldn't stop the slight blush that lit up his skull as he realized how stupidly lost he must've looked.

The skeleton approached the desk and sat down in the chair provided, twiddling his thumbs as his eyelights darted around. He really felt out of his element, but on seeing the warm expression on the librarian's face, he couldn't help but start to relax. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I don't recognize you. And by the lost expression on that skull of yours, I can only presume that you haven't been here before. You don't have a card."

Sans nodded. She smiled reassuringly and he relaxed more. She turned to the computer in front of her and readjusted her glasses as she began to type away on it.

"Alright, let's get you signed up. What's your name?"

"er. sans. sans serif."

For a moment he wondered if his muttering was too quiet to be heard above all the noise that could be heard. The librarian, Grace if her name tag was correct, didn't seem to have any problem hearing him as she nodded and typed away. She must be used to the noise. Hearing quieter and more introverted people such as himself was probably something she was used to dealing with on a daily basis.

After taking a few more details such as his email address and phone number, Grace gave him a collection of library cards, each with a different picture on them. He raised a brow bone as his eyelights looked to her questioningly. She just grinned.

"You get to choose which picture will be on your card. Makes it more personal."

Sans had to admit that he appreciated the small gesture. It was nice and he couldn't be sure if other libraries did this. So he took the small pile of pictures and looked through them.

There was the train that the little boy from earlier must've chosen. There was a picture of three anime characters. He didn't recognize them, but he was pretty sure that Alphys would like it. There was a red squirrel nibbling on an acorn, a field of flowers, a blue sky with a rainbow and more. There were plenty of different options, but Sans couldn't really see himself with any of them.

"Oh! Wait! I found another one. Here."

Grace placed the last picture on the table and his eyelights widened.

The image was of a beautiful fairy sitting on a rock, a dusky purple sky behind her filled with stars and a crescent moon. Her wings sprouted from her back and shined a multitude of colours, ranging from pink to purple to blue.

It reminded him so much of you. How cute would it be for him to be able to come back here, taking books out at his own leisure to help with your care and checking the books out on **this** card? It was perfect. He didn't care how odd he would look. He had to have it.

"this one." He held it up for Grace to see.

It was obvious that she hadn't been expecting him to choose that one. She'd probably only placed it down for a joke. As the silence between them stretched on, Grace took the picture from him hesitantly. She raised a brow as she looked back at him, as if making sure that he was absolutely certain.

He didn't falter and so she proceeded to turn the picture over, revealing a bar code and a place for a name. After writing his name down in the space provided and scanning the bar code so that she could register it into the system, Grace finally handed over the card. Sans had to physically stop himself from giggling with sheer delight at the glossy picture that made up his new library card. He was still admiring it when he heard Grace clearing her throat.

"Didn't expect you to go for the fairy, if I'm being honest." She laughed.

Sans just shrugged, giving her a grin of his own.

"what can i say? you should never judge a book by it's cover." He winked and pointed to a few books that had been left on the desk.

"I suppose you need help with finding a book?" She was still giggling from his joke. Good. Sans had to ensure that nothing about him was suspicious in any way.

He sighed in relief and slumped in his seat, skull tilting back to look at the ceiling as he ran his phalanges over his face. It must've been incredibly obvious how much help he needed and he thanked the stars that the librarian he was talking to appeared to be merciful. He had no idea how this was going to sound. He'd probably look like an idiot. Might as well throw caution to the wind. He raised his eyelights to meet her eyes, grinning shyly.

"i, erm. i was wondering if you had any books on fairies?" He mumbled, burying himself in his hoodie to try and hide.

She blinked. Sans continued, trying to make it seem like he wasn't weird.

"er, i'm kinda writing a story about 'em. and i don't know much and the internet wasn't helping at all, so that's why i'm here. yeah..." He fidgeted with the library card, running his phalanges over the smooth glossy surface.

The librarian studied him for a moment. He could feel himself starting to sweat until she turned back to the computer, pushing her glasses further up her nose and typing away. For a moment he feared that she was ignoring him. That she thought it was too strange and had decided not to help him. Sans couldn't help but deflate at the thought. Maybe he should try a book store instead?

He was just about to stand and try somewhere else when Grace grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. She scribbled something on there as well as what appeared to be numbers before turning back to him, smiling reassuredly.

"Sorry about the wait. If you stay here for a few minutes I'll be able to get you the books we have in at the moment." She offered.

Sans couldn't stop his eyelights turning into stars.

"yes! yeah, that would great! thanks so much!"

As the librarian walked out from behind the desk and headed off in one direction, Sans couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought of being able to get a book that would help him take care of you. He settled back down in the chair and decided to spend his time admiring his new library card, his fingers stroking the image of the fairy delicately as he thought of you.

This was going to change everything.

* * *

Sans stared at the collection of books that Grace had unceremoniously dropped onto the desk in front of him. This...was more than he expected. There had to be nearly ten books here! He thought that maybe he would find one or two. But this? Once more he found he'd been proven wrong. Welp, today seemed to be full of surprises.

Grace smirked at the skeleton in front of her. His eyelights had shrunk to tiny pinpricks, his jaw practically falling open as he stared at the pile of books. She tapped her nails on the desk, getting the skeleton monster's attention.

"So. Will you be getting one or two out? Or the whole caboodle?"

She highly doubted he would be able to take them all, but some people liked to challenge themselves. There was one regular who was always determined to fit as many books in her bag as she could possibly carry, never seeming to care how far she would have to carry the heavy load.

"i'll take them."

Grace laughed at his statement.

"Which one?"

"all of them."

"...You're sure?" She probed. Surely there was no way this skeleton would be able to carry this many books back to his home. It just wasn't possible, even with magic. At least, that was what she thought.

Sans nodded eagerly, his grin widening and eyelights growing huge and bright with his excitement. Grace shrugged and pulled the books towards her, opening them up and stamping them one by one. Once she'd finished stamping all of the books she slid them towards Sans and huffed.

"You've got your work cut out for you. Good luck getting them back home."

* * *

Sans had to admit that the look that crossed the librarian's face when he'd stored the books in his dimensional box was nothing short of comical. He never got tired of showing off his magic to humans. They were just so easy to impress.

He dumped the pile of books onto the coffee table and picked up the one on the top before settling down on the couch to read. Surely these would help him learn something. And once he'd learnt everything he could from these books, he'd be able to care for you properly. Maybe then you would accept your place with him and you would be able to be happy here. It could work!

~~**He would make it work.** ~~

He had just opened the book titled "The Enchanted World of Fairies" when he heard the sound of something shattering. He jumped, startled and his soul stuttered, eyelights flickering to the door of his room. Of course, his first thought was that you might have escaped somehow. But that was impossible. No, it wasn't you. The noise hadn't come from upstairs. It had come from...

Outside.

Narrowing his sockets, Sans closed the book and placed it back on the table, heading into the kitchen so he could get to the back yard and investigate the noise. He found himself frowning at the broken glass that littered the kitchen tiles, a very obvious hole in one of the windows were something appeared to have been launched through it. Whatever it was had to have been thrown at a high velocity. The hole itself was tiny.

He knelt down among the glass when something caught his eye, phalanges gingerly brushing the broken fragments as he picked up the sharpened piece of flint. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that it looked like a tiny arrow head. Small enough for someone your size to use perfectly.

He barely contained a snarl. Was he being openly threatened by other fairies? He shook his skull, smirking before laughing hysterically. He was still giggling madly when he opened the door and stepped out onto the lawn.

"you think you're good enough to take me on?! well bring it then! try and take her back! i fucking dare you! hahaha!"

There was no response, the only sound being the noise of the crickets and the birds as the sun began to set. The skeleton noticed the gleam of the tiny eyes watching him from the darkest of shadows and his chuckles became more dark.

"she could always use a friend, you know. and i sure as hell don't mind doing to you what i did to her. she ain't going anywhere. she's **mine!** and if you come anywhere near here, you'll find yourselves in the same position. now get lost!"

Sans didn't wait to hear what the tiny creatures might have said before going back inside. He had work to do after all.

But if he had stayed, he would've seen the eyes disappear, leaving one pair behind. He would've seen the greenery surrounding the house starting to wither and die. And if he had stayed, he would've seen the fairy with curly hair the colour of leaves in the fall; her green leafy wings fluttering as she cast her magic, compelling the nature around the house to die.

Her usually kind and mischievous nature was non-existant as she worked, her face twisting with her anger and grief.

Finally she could do no more. The once beautiful garden, tended to by another skeleton once upon a time, was now little more than a wasteland. A terrible waste. But if it was a fight this skeleton wanted, then it was a fight that he would get. And this would only be the start. Reinforcements were already on their way. This sadistic monster couldn't take them all on.

They would get you back.

She would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come bother me on Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans takes some action to protect the house from Fae and your loved ones decide that they're not going to play nice anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> struggled with this chapter. it probably feels short or rushed or something. sorry.   
> thanks to everyone who has been giving me fairy facts, sending me links to sites with fairy facts or anything else that has been helping with this. i really appreciate it.

Sans wasn't sure what to do. He was starting to think that he might be in over his head. But he couldn't give up. Not now. Not after all the work he'd put into this.

Still, the thought that his actions on first capturing you might've had more serious consequences than he first realized, worried him. If the books he'd been reading held any truth, then even the slightest insult to a fairy could invoke their rage.

The only thing he had actually done so far to help you in any way, was to make you clothes from the flowers he bought and to bring you back from the death you almost suffered from the shattered mirror. And even THAT was his fault.

Now that he thought about it, Sans was sure that you should've known that would happen. You must've done! He'd been able to find the story of the mirror on the internet! So it must be common knowledge among fairies that a broken mirror could cause them to die.

So, then why didn't you say anything?

And then there was the way you were acting now. You were completely despondent. You didn't even react when he came into the room. You just kept your head hung low, refusing to meet his gaze and refusing to interact with him, no matter how hard he tried to get you to talk. You stopped eating again and you no longer even bothered to go to the little cushion that you used for a bed. You just curled up on the floor.

He had tried lightly touching you, trying to see if he could get a response. He'd even take you snapping at him and biting his fingers! But there was nothing. If it hadn't been for the rather weak and pathetic flutter of one of your damaged wings, he would've assumed you had died.

Maybe he should make you more clothes. Or get started on some furniture for your cage! He could get some fairy lights wrapped around the bars, you'd like that right? Or maybe he should bring you some milk. The books said that fairies liked milk, cream, butter and different berries. He could bring you a selection! He would give you anything (besides freedom) so long as you...

He wanted you to be okay.

It was like taking one step forward and two steps back. Except he kept taking steps back and he didn't know what to do. Even with all the books he had taken out and pored over, he couldn't seem to make you happy.

What was he doing wrong?

* * *

The skeleton snarled, blue magic sparking in his eye socket as he looked out at the barren wasteland that had once been the back yard.

No.

These little fuckers had only made this one move. And this was one move too far.

How fucking dare they?!

Papyrus had spent every moment he could tending to this garden, pruning the flowers and shrubs. He had taken such great care of it that this garden had become almost as good as Asgore's. The king himself had been quite impressed with it.

His brother had bought all kinds of flower seeds and trees, spent his free time planting them and nurturing them into growing big and strong using his own magic. He'd poured his very love and hope for a bright future on the surface into this very garden, creating a beautiful and serene sanctuary that even Sans had found peace in.

And now it was gone.

These fuckers had destroyed the very thing that Papyrus had worked so hard on. The one thing that had sparked his interest more than puzzles, one of the ONLY things that Sans had left to remember him by now that he lived in the city, and they had DESTROYED it!

He growled. If your fellow fairies were going to do this as just a first move, then how far were they willing to go to get you back? Sans found that he didn't want to find out. At all. No, he had to be smart about this. He had to retaliate and do so in a way that made it clear that he shouldn't be fucked with.

Now, what could keep them away and also be seen as a threat?

A vicious grin crossed his face as he chuckled darkly. Oh yes. He knew just what to do. He had been more than prepared for your capture, so much so that he had some...things left over. It would be enough. A clear warning to back off while also preventing them from getting any closer.

He cast one last forlorn look at the withered garden before heading back inside to get what he needed.

It had to be made clear that he wasn't going down without a fight.

* * *

Sans stood back and admired his handiwork. Yes, this would do nicely.

After scanning some of the books once more just to double check that he got his facts straight, he'd pulled out the numerous iron horseshoes that he'd purchased when still waiting on your cage. He had taken them, a handful of iron nails and a hammer and ensured that he made extra noise when hammering them into place above every single door.

He wanted those fairies to watch. To see what awaited them if they dared to approach once more.

Just to add insult to injury, he'd taken all of the salt he had in the house (which was a lot) and had quite happily poured enormous amounts along the window sills. Then he just walked around the outside of the house, pouring salt around the perimeter. Every now and then, he'd catch sight of the tiny eyes watching him. He'd grin and wiggle his phalanges in a wave at them every time.

Once he'd emptied every last container of salt and was certain that he'd left no door or window without some kind of protection from the pests, he dusted off his hands and went back inside.

He had to try and coax you into eating again. Some strawberries and cream might do the trick.

* * *

A group of fairies had all gathered in a fairy ring, just inside of the trees where the previously beautiful garden had once tapered off into a forest. One of the perks of living in the countryside was having a forest for a backyard.

The downside was having to deal with any insulted, offended or angry fairies. And these fairies were very angry. The whole group chittered and buzzed like a swarm of angry bees, unable to settle.

"Settle down!" One of the males barked.

The male fairy in question wasn't usually a commanding individual. But this fairy was none other than your uncle. He was the one who had been taking care of you and your mother since your father had been mercilessly killed by humans. If any one of them deserved to be in charge of a potential rescue mission or attack on this malicious skeleton monster, then it deserved to be him.

So the others in the group followed his order, quieting down without protest and fluttering their way to one of the toadstools making up the ring, settling down so that they could pay attention to the fairy now standing in the very center.

The fairy who had caused the garden to die was curled up on a mushroom directly in front of your uncle, her arms wrapped around an older female fairy. The older fairy had buried her face in her hands, shaking with anger and sorrow at the actions the skeleton monster had taken against you, her only child. Yes, this fairy was your mother.

The fairy at her side, curly orange hair swaying in the breeze and teal cloak wrapped around her tiny frame, was doing her best to comfort your mother. There was only so much she could do when she felt as much fury as your uncle. Lizzie the Autumn fairy was NOT happy in the slightest.

How dare this skeleton take her friend? How dare he take you, one of the only garden fairies, who had seen the beauty in her powers of bringing the Autumn season and not just the death? He had no right to claim you as his own! How dare he?!

Your uncle, Shade, stayed silent, gazing around at the fairies circling him. He had promised your father that if anything happened to him, then he would look after you and your mother. He felt ashamed that he had allowed something to happen to you, to allow that detestable monster to take you from them. His expression darkened when taking in the sight of the fairies around him.

There was not many left to their clan in this corner of the world as it was. The youngest ones would not be able to help in this, which halvened the numbers. They may have magic, but it appeared the skeleton holding you captive was stronger. They wouldn't be able to win a war against him like this. They needed more help. Coming to a conclusion, Shade directed his gaze towards a group of fairies about your age. Yes, they would do nicely.

"You there! Halve your group of friends. We are going to need more reinforcements."

The fairies immediately started to chatter amongst themselves, sorting themselves into two groups and ensuring that both were equally balanced in strength and magic. The older fairies looked on curiously, wondering what Shade was planning. Was he planning to make the fairies try and attack in an attempt to catch the skeleton off guard? Once they seemed ready, the youngsters looked back at the older male.

"The monster holding (y/n) is too strong for us to attack him on our own. We are going to need more help than we thought." Shade started.

"But we've already sent for reinforcements from the Pixies and King Finvarra! If we ask any more Fae to help with this matter, we'll be risking exposing our world to the humans!" an elder fairy cried out. Not that you would know he was an elder at first glance, looking as youthful as the youngsters. His staff made of elder wood and decorated with a shining, jagged piece of amber was what gave it away.

The fairies still seated on the toadstools murmured uneasily, casting uncertain glances at each other. The attention had been pulled off of them thanks to the monsters surfacing, but that didn't mean that there weren't still humans out there who were still trying to find them. The few times they'd been successful, fairies had died as a result of the humans' selfishness and greed and they'd had to erase their memories in order to keep their habitats a secret.

They couldn't risk any more incidents. Not with their numbers dwindling.

"One group is going to the Hob-Goblins. Tell them I sent you. They owe me a favour or two. And I'm sure they'll enjoy making this monster as miserable as possible in his own home."

"You are forgetting something, Shade." Your mother, Iridia, finally spoke up. All eyes fell upon the fairy as she stood up, locking her gaze with her brother. The expression on his face said that he definitely knew where she was going with this. "How will we get close to the house in the first place, when the whole place is surrounded by salt and every door has an iron horseshoe nailed to it?"

"I know that. I have a plan for that."

"Do you? This isn't one of your games anymore, brother. This is my daughter!"

"And she's MY niece!"

The two fairies continued to scowl at each other and probably would have started to use their magic against each other. But Iridia was pulled back by Lizzie who shook her head at the older fairy. Now was not the time to be squabbling.

"Say we go along with this, that explains where you're sending one group. What about the other?" The elder from before questioned, trying to diffuse the growing tension. It worked, bringing the discussion back to the matter at hand.

At this, your uncle seemed to hesitate.

"We need to ask for help from the Dark Elves."

A hush fell upon the gathering. The Dark Elves? No, surely that was a mistake. Nothing good could come from working with the Dark Elves. Even your mother was looking alarmed, whereas Lizzie looked rather intrigued. The elder that had spoken up before finally hopped down from his toadstool and stepped towards Shade, his face draining of colour.

"You can't be serious."

Shade stayed silent.

"We can't go to the Dark Elves. Not about this. The Dark Elves are treacherous! They will pretend to be our allies and then they'll throw us to the monster himself!"

"WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE!" Shade roared.

As much as the fairies gathered around didn't like it, they had to admit that it was true. The Dark Elves may have been deceitful and aggressive and were more likely to laugh at their predicament than help. But they were one of the only races among the Fae who did not have a weakness to salt or iron.And that could prove to be the turning point in this fight. 

Besides, whether they wanted to help or not, surely they would not be able to pass up the opportunity of fighting a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's amazing how i've done more research for this story than i ever did when revising for my exams in school.
> 
> Lizzie the Autumn Fairy is an OC that belongs to basurtoj15   
> King Finvarra is an Irish Fairy and is known to be a benevolent fairy. I'm pretty sure there's a story where he fell in love and married a human woman. But after looking online, all I could find was that he had Fairy Queen, but also took many human women as lovers xD
> 
> bother me on Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> is it obvious that this is my first time writing a yandere? uwu
> 
> bother me on Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/


End file.
